Stan Getz, The Girl From Ipanema | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 93rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 93^rd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2025), we recollect and reflect on “The Girl From Ipanema” performed by Stan Getz.

“Tall and tan and young and lovely / The girl from Ipanema goes walking / And when she passes he smiles / But she doesn’t see.” Cutting straight to the chase, jazz tenor saxophonist Stan Getz (1927 – 1991) is renowned for “The Girl From Ipanema”. “The Girl From Ipanema” appears twice on his critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning 1964 album, Getz / Gilberto, which also features the beloved bossa nova bops “Desafinado” and “Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)”. Getz / Gilberto eventually peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The album is one of the rare jazz albums to earn gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Getz / Gilberto ultimately won the Grammy for Album of the Year, while “Girl” took home the Grammy for Record of the Year at the 7^th Annual Grammy Awards. Kind of a big deal!  

The original version of “Girl,” which runs nearly five-and-a-half minutes long, commences the album. The second version (think of it as the single version), which runs under three minutes, appears as the ninth track. In addition to Getz, “The Girl From Ipanema” is credited to Brazilian guitarist, singer, and songwriter João Gilberto (1931 – 2019) (the Gilberto that the album is attributed to as well), his then-wife, Brazilian singer/songwriter Astrud Gilberto (1940 – 2023), and Brazilian composer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927 – 1994). João sings and plays guitar on the track, Astrud sings, taking over lead duties, while Antônio plays piano.  Jobim, Songwriting Hall of Famer Norman Gimbel (1927 – 2018), and Brazilian poet and lyricist Vinícius de Moraes (1913 – 1980) wrote “The Girl From Ipanema.” Legendary jazz producer Creed Taylor (1929 – 2022) produced it.

“The Girl From Ipanema” is a star-studded, historically important jazz/bossa nova recording.  The high level of musicianship speaks for itself.  There is a cool energy that emanates from the cut. All parties leave their mark on this landmark recording. João Gilberto is the first voice heard, singing exclusively in Portuguese, while his rhythmic guitar accompaniment is vital throughout (“Olha que coisa mais linda, mais cheia de graça / É ela a menina que vem e que passa / Num doce balanço a caminho do mar”). Antônio Carlos Jobim plays modestly and tastefully on the keys, keeping it non troppo with his comping and riffs. Astrud Gilberto wows us with her refined, chilling, and easy-going vocals when she takes over the lead, singing exclusively in English.

“Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes ‘ah!’” 

Last but not least, the warm, radiant tenor saxophone of Stan Getz enters the mix, providing a celestial contrast.  His tone, his phrasing, his everything is perfect.  After being ‘Mr. Modest,’ Jobim gets his moment to shine with a brief, but sweet piano solo built on comping.  It precedes the return of Astrud, becoming the focal point, with some decadent, tasteful soloing from Getz.  Describing the happenings of “The Girl From Ipanema” doesn’t do it justice, no matter how poetic and rich I strive to make my words.  The music – and it is stellar, utterly sublime music – speaks for itself.   This is one of the truly great records, of any musical genre, of all time.